diff --git a/manifests/db.pp b/manifests/db.pp
index 1cf955aea..15822d8ce 100644
--- a/manifests/db.pp
+++ b/manifests/db.pp
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@
   exec { 'ceilometer-dbsync':
     command     => $command,
     path        => '/usr/bin',
-    user        => $::ceilometer::params::username,
+    user        => $::ceilometer::params::user,
     refreshonly => true,
     logoutput   => on_failure,
     subscribe   => Ceilometer_config['database/connection']
diff --git a/manifests/params.pp b/manifests/params.pp
index c240bb9da..89281be32 100644
--- a/manifests/params.pp
+++ b/manifests/params.pp
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 
   $dbsync_command  = 'ceilometer-dbsync --config-file=/etc/ceilometer/ceilometer.conf'
   $expirer_command = 'ceilometer-expirer'
+  $user            = 'ceilometer'
 
   case $::osfamily {
     'RedHat': {
diff --git a/spec/classes/ceilometer_db_spec.rb b/spec/classes/ceilometer_db_spec.rb
index aa3610010..0dc88dcd3 100644
--- a/spec/classes/ceilometer_db_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/classes/ceilometer_db_spec.rb
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@
         :command     => 'ceilometer-dbsync --config-file=/etc/ceilometer/ceilometer.conf',
         :path        => '/usr/bin',
         :refreshonly => 'true',
+        :user        => 'ceilometer',
         :logoutput   => 'on_failure'
       )
     end
@@ -60,6 +61,7 @@
         :command     => '/bin/true',
         :path        => '/usr/bin',
         :refreshonly => 'true',
+        :user        => 'ceilometer',
         :logoutput   => 'on_failure'
       )
     end
@@ -92,6 +94,7 @@
         :command     => 'ceilometer-dbsync --config-file=/etc/ceilometer/ceilometer.conf',
         :path        => '/usr/bin',
         :refreshonly => 'true',
+        :user        => 'ceilometer',
         :logoutput   => 'on_failure'
       )
     end
@@ -125,6 +128,7 @@
         :command     => '/bin/true',
         :path        => '/usr/bin',
         :refreshonly => 'true',
+        :user        => 'ceilometer',
         :logoutput   => 'on_failure'
       )
     end
@@ -154,6 +158,7 @@
         :command     => 'ceilometer-dbsync --config-file=/etc/ceilometer/ceilometer.conf',
         :path        => '/usr/bin',
         :refreshonly => 'true',
+        :user        => 'ceilometer',
         :logoutput   => 'on_failure'
       )
     end